Memento Mori
by Renee86
Summary: Filler between "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Islanded in a Stream of Stars" Bill finds out Laura has collapsed.


The klaxon was blaring still throughout the whole ship, but to him was simply a ringing in his ears. He hurried through the hallways of the ship passing by his crew, towards his quarters. Something was wrong he could tell, he knew he would get there, and something would be wrong. He had spent time with her in his quarters prior to his shift in CIC. What little time he could he spent with her, ashamed that half the time he was hung-over.

_Laura rolls over on her side the lights are dimmed in the cabin except for a lamp on Bill's desk. She spots him sitting at his desk nursing a glass of whiskey, one of many during the day. She looks down at her trembling hands, the outline of her ribs through her sleep shirt. Her silent observations are ended when she is hit with a coughing fit. She coughs loudly unable to smother it, she realizes she is no longer alone in the rack. He is there beside her with a glass of water, holding it to her lips as she drinks it. He sits the glass down on the side table, and takes her hand. She looks at their hands and then up at him, giving him a weak smile. "I need to finish paperwork for Boomer's extradition, can you help me up?"she asks. He helps her over to the desk, each step she can barely move. Her turns to her after she is seated, stroking her cheek. "Finish the paperwork then back to bed", he say authoritatively. This earns him a giggle followed by a deep cough. _

He makes to the hatch of his quarters startled to realize that the Marines are gone and the door is wide open. He runs in to find the Marines kneeling by a prone Laura Roslin on the floor, she isn't moving. He makes it to her side quickly nearly knocking the Marine away. "We just came in and found her like this," he says while taking her wrist. The other Marine he realized was on the radio calling for a medical team. Relieved that she is breathing, he brushes the hair from her face realizing that she is running a fever. He notes that she is sweating profusely and tells the guard to get a wet cloth. He begins pulling off the coat she was wearing leaving her in the soft cotton shirt underneath. The Marine returns explaining they took massive casualties during the kidnapping of Hera. That the medics are trying to get there as soon as they can. He picks up her hand which is clutching a blood-stained handkerchief, he looks from her to the guards. "We are taking her now, she can't wait for them", he says picking her limp form up in his arms.

_**2 Days Earlier, Guest Quarters**_

_They lay in her rack, kissing the candles placed around the room illuminating them. She had been laying on the rack reading, when he had come to her book in hand. Saul had taken note of his weariness after his confrontation with Zarek. Being with her is his rest, even if it's only for a short time this is their cabin: each other. He sits on the edge of the bed, turning to place the book on the bedside table along with his glasses. Laura smiles at him as she reaches up and unbuttons his uniform coat taking her hands in his. "I love you", laying her back on the rack. _

**Sick Bay**

Laura Roslin lays in Sickbay on a gurney in a curtained off area, Cottle had just finished examining her while Bill paces. Doc Cottle hates having to talked to Bill the look of hope on his face, Cottle looks to him grimly. "Her body is shutting down, and she has pneumonia I don't even know if she will make it through the night", he says. Cottle shakes his head in defeat as Bill Adama simply exits life-station. The news he has given to Adama takes a back seat to an influx of casualties pouring in. Like Laura, Galactica is being ripped apart from the inside, many were injured during repairs.

Notes: Had a hard time deciding whether to end this with her death, or as a sort of Filler between eps deal. Upon rewatching "Someone to Watch Over Me" I got the impression she had caught an infection as a result of her illness based upon the scene. Also based on Cottle saying in Sine Qua Non that her immune system was impaired. However no telling how much time had passed, etc. But that's just my take.


End file.
